By Randy Patrick

Sun Reporter

Nancy Cox, longtime news anchor for WLEX-TV in Lexington and 1990 American Miss Kentucky, will be the speaker for “Babies, Blessings & Brunch,” a fundraiser for New Beginnings, a family and pregnancy care center that has served women and families in Clark and surrounding counties for 31 years.

The brunch will be at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 1 at Central Baptist Church, 101 W. Lexington Ave.

Cox, who has been with the local NBC affiliate since 1992, is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and was a Miss America contestant in 1991.

Becki Arvin, executive director of New Beginnings, said Cox has a personal connection with a member of the nonprofit’s board of directors, who asked her to speak.

Cox will speak on “The Value of Life.”

This is the charity’s first attempt at doing a brunch as a fundraiser. Because so many groups do the same kinds of fundraisers, they wanted to do something different.

“We’re trying to come up with something original, for us,” Arvin said.

Board members will provide the food, which will consist of breakfast casseroles, fruits, muffins, cheeses and other brunch foods.

There is no set cost to attend, but there will be silent and live auctions, and a “love offering” will be taken.

“We are totally supported by the generosity of the public,” she said, so fundraisers are important to the group’s mission.

New Beginnings, which provides its services for free, assists women and girls in crisis pregnancies, but does much more, including teaching a character-based abstinence education course for middle schoolers, “Choosing the Best,” as well as classes at George Rogers Clark and Powell County high schools and parenting education for adults.

They help with material needs, such as diapers and baby formula, and last year alone, they helped 880 clients from 11 counties in Kentucky.

“We’ve been in this community for 31 years now, but a lot of people don’t know we exist,” Arvin said.

Events like “Babies, Blessings & Brunch” is a way not only to raise needed financial support for the faith-based organization, but also raise awareness of New Beginnings and the services it provides.

“I always welcome the opportunity to speak to any organizations, and we’re always looking for volunteers,” Arvin said.

Anyone who would like to attend the brunch and support New Beginnings may RSVP to New Beginnings by Jan. 23 by calling (859) 744-5688.